TOXIC
by LoveIsSweetMisery
Summary: John thought that after all they'd been through that finally Sherlock and his life could be normal, but then Moriarty had to get involved. Slash SH/JM and SH/JW. Semi song fic- Britney spears' "TOXIC".  Sequel to SHOCK but can be standalone.
1. Chapter 1

**TOXIC...**

**Toxic is the sequel to my first Sherlock fic 'Shock' but can be read alone (Shock is basically the story how they got together). It will obviously involve some slash so if that isn't your kettle of fish (got to love that phrase) and are a fan of Merlin can I recommend the brilliant Summerquill's 'The lost day'.**

**The main storyline, which begins next chapter is inspired by a youtube video, and if you wish to see it there will be a link on my page shortly :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Sherlock.**

"Sherlock we're going out tonight." John announced.

Sherlock had learnt through six months, two weeks and three days of dating John Watson that those words never brought around good news. It would never be a trip to the theatre because John hated the fact Sherlock would ruin the ending and John was not the type to like dining out. Usually it would be meeting friends, colleagues, family or even acquaintances and today appeared to be no exception.

"Who is it?" Sherlock asked, spinning on his chair. John then immediately regretted buying Sherlock the wheelie chair for Christmas as he slid over to him. He knocked over two stacks of books and the latest case notes John had been assigned to investigate by Lestrade.

"I didn't say that we were meeting anyone." John said gathering the papers together. "And what is wrong with walking?"

"You didn't need to say anything." Sherlock said, he then wheeled back to his laptop and said. "And walking is boring."

"Look Sherlock my friends from Afghanistan..." John said.

Sherlock froze for a moment and looked at John. He rolled his eyes and leant back. He sighed and span around in a circle. He had met many of John's old friends, though he protested every meeting, and had generally found the medical ones to be the most entertaining as they could regale him with stories of blood and gore and generally the ex-soldiers who were loyal and brave often bored him to an almost sleep like state.

"Army personnel?" He said, still spinning on the spot.

"Yes they are Sherlock..." John said.

"And do they know that you're..."

"Gay."

The bluntness of John's response caused Sherlock to fall of his chair in an ungraceful heap. The doctor took a seat and laughed at the detective, and soaked in the rare occurrence of Sherlock Holmes making a complete fool of himself. Sherlock got up and brushed his jacket down.

"I was going to say homosexual but simply gay will suffice." He said, and removed a toffee sweet from his hair. John let out a hearty laugh.

"Yes they do Sherlock." He said.

"And they are ok with it?" Sherlock said, walking to sit next to John.

"Well there may be a bit of banter but nothing you can't handle." John said, and with that he ran his fingers through Sherlock's hair. "Sherlock, have you been rolling in sweets?"

"What if I said I refuse to go through some moral objection to the war?" Sherlock said.

"What if I said I've hidden your skull and will not give it back unless you go?" John replied.

- :) -

"Oi Oi it's Johnny boy." A loud voice greeted them.

"Fantastic..." Sherlock muttered to himself.

The pub that the ex-army colleagues of 'Johnny boy' had chosen was crowded and filled with regulars to such an extent that Sherlock guessed that there was actually only three seats not reserved for people. The one that they were heading to had two noticeable seats free in the centre- that could only mean one thing- they wanted to interrogate them, and by the determined grin of the woman on the centre it would last most of the night. As always, John remained oblivious.

"Hello mate." John said. He then put his arm around Sherlock's shoulder and squeezed him. Sherlock remained stony faced as John said. "Alright guys. This is my boyfriend Sherlock."

A tall man from the corner was the first to get up. He first gave what had been aptly named a 'man hug' to John and the others followed suit. It was clear to even someone with the intelligence of Anderson that he was the leader in the packet, but it was only apparent to someone like Sherlock that he didn't want that.

"Now Johnny boy 'boyfriend' is a word should never come from a man's mouth." The man said, and then turned to Sherlock. "I'm only kidding mate. Nice to meet you Sherlock I'm Nick and this is my girlfriend Hannah, over there is Danno and his wife Nancy, by them is Harry and his soon to be misses Jodie and finally these two by me are Johno and Macca and they are flying solo tonight."

And as he finished he extended his hand to shake Sherlock's. Sherlock inspected the man, and deducted immediately that he and Hannah had recently had an argument. There was a small cut just above his right wrist, which looked like it had been inflicted from Hannah throwing a vase at him, maybe three days ago.

"Pleasure." Sherlock said, deliberately ignoring the hand.

"Please to meet your Sherlock." Nick said, retracting the hand.

There was an uncomfortable silence following that, in which not even John could bridge it. The smallest of the men stepped forward and slapped John on the back. Sherlock stood still on the spot and his nostrils flared, and one eyebrow raised as the man said in a deep voice.

"At least you're the man of the relationship eh?" He then turned to Sherlock and said. "Nah, Joking mate joking. I'm Danno."

"Yes I've just been told." Sherlock said, and not even John could correct him as it was so plainly obvious. Danno seemed oblivious to this insult and continued to talk to John.

"So Johnny we're going to go and quickly pick up Mickey at the local strip club. I know it ain't your type of thing and none of us be judging you by the way."

"None of you are judging him." Sherlock corrected him.

The rest of the group however seemed to take this as a question and immediately a flood of denial swept through the group. Sherlock rolled his eyes and resigned himself to sitting in one of the recently evacuated seats. He yearned for a cigarette, or something stronger, to drown out the stupidity

"No way mate." Danno said. "What a man shoves up his backside is his own business."

"Charming." John said, with a large grin on his face.

The mood of the group was then lightened considerably and smiles and laughs swept over them quicker than Sherlock could drown them out with vodka. He at that moment hated the smoking ban and contemplated talking to Mycroft about it the next time that his brother intruded in his personal life, which knowing him would be any day now.

"Anyway we were wondering if you want to come with." Nick said.

"Um..." John said, his eyes immediately resting on Sherlock. Sherlock gave him the look that he always gave him when John's army friends suggested anything to do with semi-naked women.

"And Sherlock can stay here with the ladies..." Nick said, picking up on Sherlock's lack of enthusiasm.

"Um...Sherlock?" John said, and all eyes turned to Sherlock.

"Yes that sounds brilliant." Sherlock said, grabbing a nearby shot and downing it. He then let out his fakest of smiles and said. "I'm sure we'll all be best friends by the time you come back."

- :) -

Sherlock sat with women surrounding him. He sat there uncomfortably and even the comfort of ten shots had not lightened up his moods. Hannah had ordered them a round of martinis, and so far Sherlock had yet to be impressed by it and even less so by the pink umbrella she had put in it.

"So Sherlock...how long have you been going out with John for?" Hannah said.

"Six months." Sherlock replied back.

There was a silence

"Six months eh?" Jodie said. "Well finally Johnny's settled down."

Sherlock's eyes finally had a wave of excitement through him. His attention turned to the women and he put on a look on interest on his face. Luckily for him the girls surrounding him were either too drunk or too stupid to notice.

"Yeah he was a wild one in his day Sherlock." Nancy continued on the same point. "Always romancing the ladies. That's why we were all surprised when we found out..."

"That he was bringing me along?" Sherlock continued.

"There's nothing wrong with him having a boyfriend." Hannah butted in quickly.

"I know that." Sherlock replied.

And again silence appeared. Sherlock then found himself wondering why John had brought him and more importantly why he had let John bring him. He knew where John had hidden the skull, because despite the doctor's best wishes, Sherlock knew instantaneously where John put everything.

"So anyway how did you guys meet?" Jodie said.

"In both a trivial and uninteresting way." Sherlock replied. "So do you want to get more..."

"Oh come on we won't judge here!" Nancy said. "I met my husband at Maccy Ds for God's sake."

"Yeah and I met my Nick in Asda." Hannah added in.

"Come on Sherlock!" Nancy encouraged him further.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and repeated the sentence that John had hammered into him on the cab journey to the pub.

"We were introduced by a mutual friend as both of us had difficulties finding a flatmate."

"And you fell in love through sharing a flat?" Jodie asked.

_Memories of John shouting at him for eyeballs in the microwave flooded back. Once more Mrs Hudson came up as John stormed out..._

"Not exactly..." Sherlock replied.

"A drunken night together?" Nancy asked.

_John stumbled into the room with a large cut on his face...he had been in a fight again. Even since their kiss John had his troubles with controlling his new life, and still didn't seem to accept the fact that he was an addict and fading fast..._

"Not my scene per say." Sherlock replied.

"A holiday?" Hannah asked.

_Sherlock visited John at the rehabilitation clinic, and looked around. John sat in a chair with a pale face and dark circles. It hurt to see John like this, and even when John kissed him Sherlock felt something was missing..._

"Holidays are for those needing escape." Sherlock said.

"Oh come on tell us!" Nancy said, grabbing his arm.

"Alright then." Sherlock said, removing Nancy's hand from his arm. "John got kidnapped and I had to rescue him through following a mad man's orders which lead me to be accused of mass murder and sent to a mental institution. When I finally found him I got shot and confessed my love to him because I thought I was going to die and would not live to face the consequences. After then being told by his sister I was dead went on what could only be described as a drawn out suicidal drinking session and I was left to find him with the help of my elderly mother and the convict who runs the local Italian."

"Wow...that's..." Nancy said, and the rest of the table mimicked his surprise. Sherlock sat there in contentment as the women looked at each other at a loss for what to say.

Five minutes passed and little was said, but much was drunk. Sherlock sat there with his third martini in hand and found that suddenly the night was much more bearable. John arrived back shortly with the mess of soldiers and the group was laughing and joking far too loudly to be socially acceptable. Sherlock guessed that they had a drink at the strip club, except John who had just had an orange juice, and that John had not told his friends about his alcoholism and pretended that there was vodka in it.

"Look whose back ladies..." Nick said, he then noted. "It's a bit quiet over here."

John turned to Sherlock and gave him a significant look.

"What?" Sherlock said back.

- :) -

Ten minutes later and the table was alive with conversation. John had placed himself next to Sherlock and his arm was firmly around the detective's shoulder. To someone who didn't know the couple they may have thought this was out of affection but Sherlock knew fully it was so that John could pull him back if he decided to speak out of turn. Nick and Hannah sat opposite them and luckily for John, Sherlock found them the most palatable of the group.

"So Johnny what's it like living in London?" Nick asked.

"It's good thank you." John said back.

"No desire to come back to the army then?" Nick said.

Ah the true incentive for the drink. Sherlock had been waiting for it since they had first met up with them, and his first hunch had been indeed correct. John did not seem taken aback from this clear attempt of recruitment.

"No, I'm quite happy working with Sherlock." John said, and he took a gulp of his orange juice.

"So Sherlock what do you do then?" Nick asked.

"I'm a consulting detective." Sherlock replied back.

Danno at that moment peered around with Nancy quickly following. He let out a loud laugh and clapped Sherlock on the back. The detective looked at a loss at why someone would do such a thing, but by the small smile on John's face he could tell that this was meant through affection. Sherlock sneered at it.

"Ah mate...you can't say that...it's not a real job now?" Danno said, his tone ever annoying.

"Nor is your marriage but I wasn't rude enough to comment." Sherlock muttered, but as the words came out he noticed that they were louder than intended. It appeared that the martinis did have an effect on his behaviour...he needed to write that down. Unfortunately because of this, Danno did hear.

"What you saying mate?" Danno said and his voice was still somewhat cheerful.

"Sherlock don't..." John said.

Sherlock looked at John, and then again at Danno. His face was irritating and there was something curious about how annoying his face was. Sherlock looked down at his arms, his veins were bulging on his right but not his left. He lifted weights with his right arm and not his left, that showed that he was not dedicated to the sport, if he was he would do both but this was different. He did it because of a temper, an obsessive temper, which was so interesting to press.

"Well the fact she doesn't wear her wedding ring when you aren't around isn't considered one of the best signs of a healthy marriage." Sherlock said, his tone was light and the veins bulged further.

"That's preposterous." Nancy said, and she hugged him tighter to him- ah the classic sign of desperation to prove "Honey you can't believe him."

John noticed this, and as predicted so did Danno. Sherlock sat down with a satisfied look on his face having correctly diagnosed yet another friend of John. However the doctor did not take this in such good spirit, and his left eye was twitching- a thing reserved purely for when Sherlock embarrassed John in front of his friends.

"Sherlock back off." John said.

"And how do you know that eh?" Danno said, he was now faking a light tone, and his grip was loose on Nancy. He knew that Nancy was lying, but his mind was telling him to hope.

"Don't..." John whispered in his ear.

"Come on then you queer." Danno shouted, he had lost all control.

John immediately swung into action and looked at his friend. The whole group had turned silent, and John was no longer friendly towards Danno.

"Now hold on a minute..." John said and his hands were pressed against the table. It was clear that he was fully ready for a fight, and it seemed that he was almost eager to do so. Sentiment appeared to have made John Watson irrational, and Sherlock Holmes knew that for more than most it was deadly.

"It is clear from the joint on her ring finger that it is frequently removed as the side of it is slightly misshapen." Sherlock said casually, interrupting John's temper for a second. He then added. "Of course she could just take it off to clean but by the state of your shirt..."

Sherlock never got to finish that sentence and found himself on the floor within seconds. He did not remember the punch per say, but the pain in his right of his face suggested that he had been hit with a clenched fist and his attacker was left handed. It was definitely Danno, and even Nancy backed off.

"So you were having an affair then" Danno shouted.

The whole pub was looking now, but all seemed too scared to intervene. Sherlock pushed himself up and to the table. His head was swimming slightly and the room was unclear. John ran over to him and looked into his pupils. Sherlock allowed him to do this, because he knew that if he didn't it would only lead to the same thing happening with someone far less qualified and far more annoying, who spent their working day in an A&E. Nick and Harry held Danno back as he attempted to lunge towards Sherlock.

"Sherlock what have you done?" John said, as he examined it without any trouble. His ability to work despite the distractions behind him was one of the many qualities that Sherlock found admirable.

"Come on then!" Danno said, struggling once more.

"Calm down Danno." Nick said, and with that he pushed Danno back into the chair. He sat next to him and said in a calm voice "I think Sherlock here has been at the martinis..."

He then glanced over to Sherlock. He had a faux friendly face on, but his look was more demanding than with affection. John didn't look backwards and instead stayed focused on Sherlock.

"Obviously." Sherlock said, John gave him a look of disgust but he continued on in a high pitched voice with a whimsical air. "What? I had to fulfil my homosexual stereotype, I have to say that the pink umbrellas made it."

Danno had calmed down and instead he looked sunken in his chair. His eyes completed diverted from Sherlock and for a moment his entire attention was focused on Nancy. The other two men realizing that this was a situation of emotions backed away from the situation. It was typical male behaviour, and the females of the group watched intently as he had anticipated.

"Nancy? He's telling the truth isn't he?" Danno said.

"I'm sorry." Nancy said through sobs. "Look you're away a lot and...and I was lonely."

Danno got out of his chair and knelt beside Nancy. It may have seemed to some as a sign of affection, and the girls all cooed between them. The men in the group even seemed to believe that it was a good sign, but John and Sherlock knew better.

"Who is he?" He said.

"It doesn't ma..." She said.

"Who is he Nancy?" He interrupted her, and his tone was once again fearsome. The girls immediately stopped looking upon the scene with a sense of romance and his friends subconsciously put their arms around their significant others for protection- all except John who was glaring at Sherlock.

"Jack." She said.

Danno got up and smashed a glass. The barman looked around before sheepishly retreating to the back of the storeroom. He was going for a cigarette, although by the white patch on his arms he had recently decided to quit. Sherlock guessed that these relapses were not uncommon though as he showed no immediate guilt.

"Jack...Jack Jack, my mate from school Jack." Danno shouted.

"I think we have already established his name." Sherlock pointed out.

"Shut up Sherlock." John said and pulled his face towards him. "I think you may have a concussion..."

"Look it wasn't his fault." Nancy said, and she attempted to hold him.

It was at that point a man entered the bar. He was a tall man, of a rather rugged style, and a cocky look on his face. It was obvious to all in the pub that this was the so named 'Jack' and he had just received his cue.

"Oh look here the bugger is." Danno muttered, and he then moved towards the man. He said to him, as friendly as he greeted Sherlock and John. "Alright mate?"

Jack was guilty, and with guilt came a great ability to sense when someone was angry at you. This was not unusal to humans and this often amused Sherlock. Danno moved closer and closer towards him until the only thing stopping them touching was a bar stool in between.

"Hey mate." Jack said. "Is there something wrong?"

"That's for shagging her." Danno shouted landing a punch straight in the man's jaw, and then when launching a second said. "And that's for me only finding out from a queer."

Jack punched him back and the fight began. The regulars, all apparent by the state of their clothes, circled around them and began chanting. The barman who had disappeared a minute ago ran in with a phone clutched to his ear. He was phoning the police. The rest of the group sat in silence as Nancy ran towards the scene and attempted to prise them apart.

"Well this is most fun." Sherlock said, diverting the attention of the group to him. They all stared at him loathingly as he said. "Martini anyone?"

**And it's DONE! First chapter...YAY**

**Will Sherlock ever get on with people?**

**Will John accept Sherlock's short comings?**

**Will anyone want Martinis?**

**FIND OUT NEXT TIME**


	2. Chapter 2

**TOXIC...**

**Toxic is the sequel to my first Sherlock fic 'SHOCK' (can be read alone) and is about how Sherlock struggles to deal with his new monogamous and 'normal' lifestyle.**

**Sorry for the delay, thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: Sherlock isn't mine...**

Sherlock awoke from his sofa ridden sleep. He stretched out, yawned and observed the room in its fully chaotically organized state. He looked around for any signs of John but the tea mug was on the mantel piece that meant he had left already. Sherlock ran his hand through ebony curls and got up with little enthusiasm. The sound of the singing landlady made him fall straight back. Mrs Hudson walked in and looked at him.

"Dear day light is burning, and you're still in bed." She said, sweeping through the apartment and opening the curtains. Sherlock squinted to protect the glaring sunlight and groaned once more. She tutted and said. "Did you two have a domestic again?"

"And what would make you say that Mrs Hudson?" Sherlock murmured.

"Well you two aren't the quietest of people at the best of times dear, and I can't help but notice that your nasty skull is broken down there." Mrs Hudson said as she began to tidy once more.

Sherlock bleary eyed looked down to the floor. There it was, his once talking companion, smashed on the floor with a jar of eyes next to it. Sherlock lowered his eyebrows and his mouth formed into a scrunched up hole. He then cleared his face of emotion and turned back to her.

"Merely an experiment Mrs Hudson." He said clearly. "Nothing more."

"Now now dear, you can fool that Lestrade man, but you can't fool me." She said before turning to the kitchen and saying. "Oh Sherlock the mess you've left here..."

- :) -

Sherlock lay on the sofa with a gun pointed at the ceiling. One eye was closed, and his mouth was twisted to the side. His aim, near perfect, his attention, without fault, but even without pressure he knew he could never make the same shot as John had made in their first case. It was a mentality of a soldier which Sherlock would always be too stubborn to learn.

BANG BANG BANG

John Watson ran up the stairs as he heard that. Since their relationship started a mere six months before they had suffered three shoot offs, two hostage situations and one rather risky game of Russian roulette. Bursting through the door, and dropping the carton of milk, he saw Sherlock lying on the sofa with a gun in his hands, and pieces of the ceiling in his lap.

"Not again Sherlock." John said.

"Have you bought the milk?" Sherlock replied without thought.

John let out a sigh of anger and resentment as he picked up the carton and put it into the fridge. Sherlock remained lying on the sofa. John stole a glare at the detective before searching the apartment for any needles, he had been clean for three months now since his last relapse, but everything made John suspicious of it.

"If you're looking for any drugs I can assure you I'm clean." Sherlock said, his eyes examining the ceiling.

"I never said you weren't." John replied back.

"You were looking, you didn't need to." Sherlock said. "Actions speak louder than words John, you should learn that."

John shook his head and went back to the living room. Sherlock, true to form hadn't moved, and was carefully inspecting the rubble that had fallen into his lap. John took a seat by the television and turned it on. The low murmur of the television filled the awkwardness of the silence.

"You ruined my experiment." Sherlock said quietly.

"No I saved our bacon, quite literally." John said back. "Those eyes were ruining everything else in the fridge."

Sherlock got up and turned off the television. He bent down to John's level and stared the man in the eye. For a moment John thought he may have kissed him, but Sherlock being Sherlock was always one to do the unexpected. He surveyed John's face and smiled.

"That is a pathetic excuse John way beyond even your level of intelligence." Sherlock said. "I presume it was because you were upset about something."

"Even for you Sherlock, this is particularly clueless." John said, getting out of his chair. Sherlock stood by the man and looked at him. John turned around and in a rage he flew once more. He shouted at the detective. "Would it kill you Sherlock to be nice to my friends?"

Sherlock rolled his eyes and grimaced at John. The thoughts of the gorillas sitting in the pub and their various partners without a sensible thought crossing their minds tortured the detective's sanity and he smiled a strained smile to John.

"I can't deny that it would be most unpleasant." Sherlock said.

"Ok, I know you didn't like some of my friends but I try with..." John said before correcting himself and saying. "Well I would if you had any."

Sherlock didn't reply as John stormed around the place. He stopped finally at the table and picked up a piece of paper with St Bart's logo on the top. John held it up for Sherlock to see.

"What is this?" John asked.

"Oh yes your university friend annoyed me, and I suspect he is related to Anderson. I've sent some of his DNA for testing at St Bart's." Sherlock said casually. "I know what you're thinking, the speed of the laboratory is declining, I blame Miss Hooper's new found relationship."

John stumbled for a moment, astonished at the reply. He couldn't unravel the argument because frankly it was so irrational and ridiculous that it made no sense, so there was nothing to contradict. Sherlock looked as if it were so natural it angered the doctor.

"Molly's not in a relationship." John said.

"Yes she is haven't you seen her new haircut?" Sherlock said back.

"Oh I give up." John said.

John put down the piece of paper and began to walk away. This was happening a lot, and something which Sherlock had not yet become accustomed to.

"Where are you going?" Sherlock called out.

"Out." John replied.

- :) –-

Moriarty watched on a TV at the scene in the flat. Sherlock watched as John walked out and a look of clear upset was across the usually cold face. Moriarty had a twisted smile as he saw Sherlock get up and start to tidy his things away as if he were ashamed.

"Sherlock Holmes, house trained by his own pet, how ironic." He said to himself.

A nervous looking man of around twenty entered in, a file clutched under his right arm. Moriarty carried on watching the TV screen as Sherlock began to speak to their land lady Mrs Hudson. It was so interesting to watch his mannerisms. It was as if he were the same, just watered down.

"Mr Moriarty..." The man said.

"Doctor Moriarty if you may." Moriarty said, ever vigilant of the screen. "Have you got the information?"

The man didn't speak but instead nodded vigorously. He handed the file over and Moriarty picked it up without looking at the boy. It had pictures of their dates, information on what they had ordered, and everything that one could possibly not be interested in, and yet this was the most vital.

"Interesting, very interesting." He said before turning to the boy and saying. "Go on now little gingerbread man...the wolf is coming!"

"Of course sir." The man said, before walking out, to leave the mad man to his own thoughts.

- :) -

John sat in the pub with a glass of orange juice in his hands. He needed to cool off, and yet being in a place so filled with his weakness was proving to do otherwise. He cusped the glass between his shaking fingers and took a large drink. A familiar female, a doctor none the less, walked in and joined him.

"John what are you drinking?" She asked.

"Orange juice Sarah, nothing more, nothing less." He said back.

Sarah took his glass and smelt it. When satisfied she placed it down and took the barstool next to him. John took a few more gulps before tapping his fingers furiously against the counter. He had no idea what to say to her, he was not the kind for small talk.

"Another argument with Sherlock?" She asked.

"I prefer to call it a conflict of attitudes." He said back quietly.

"You're beginning to sound like him, you know?" She said. He looked up to her and smiled before returning to the drink. She corrected herself quickly and said. "Not that it's a bad thing, he is smart just a bit..."

"Of an arse?" John said interrupting.

"If you like." She said back through laughter. She then asked seriously. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." John replied. Aware of the bluntness of it he said calmly. "But what I would want to hear is about your new flat."

- :) -

Sherlock looked around the flat. Distorted by organized mess, it didn't look like a flat for a normal couple in their thirties. All along he had thought that is not what John wanted but more recent events begged to differ. He walked along to the kitchen and took out his latest experiment. With regret he began to move it into the bin, before quickly putting it back. This was ridiculous, he couldn't risk an experiment, it would be vital some day. Someone knocked on the door and as usual Mrs Hudson answered. A muffled voice ensured.

"Oh you want to see him now?" Mrs Hudson said. She lowered her voice to an almost inaudible whisper as she said. "I think he's a bit delicate dear...had a small domestic."

"I'm sure this will make him better Mrs Hudson." A voice he recognized as belonging to Lestrade said.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and plonked himself back down onto the sofa. It would be another talk about another case so simple that it was extraordinary that people could actually trust the police officer to solve anything. He even doubted they could play cluedo, let along solve actual murders. Lestrade walked in and straight to Sherlock.

"Not interested." Sherlock said.

"You haven't even heard what I have to say." Lestrade replied.

"And I'm still not interested." Sherlock said.

"Come on Sherlock this is a big case." Lestrade replied.

"Is is another missing girl?" Sherlock asked.

"Well yes..." Lestrade said.

"Then you have my answer already." Sherlock said. But as he walked away he noticed something different in the way Lestrade presented it. He turned back to the police officer and said. "There's something different about it."

"The video footage." Lestrade said. "She was shown two places at once when she disappeared."

Probably would take a minute to solve, maybe two if he was slow that day, but something about the idea of escaping the confines of the flat, possibly avoiding John's lingering sultry moods was somewhat appealing.

"I'll take it." Sherlock said.

"You'll take a taxi behind I presume?" Lestrade said.

"And they said primitive life forms have problems working." Sherlock replied.

- :) -

John and Sarah laughed amongst themselves in the pub. The other patrons of the pub looked at them with beer stained teeth and yellow eyes. Their youthful true joy was so different to the lazy atmosphere that they had attracted even more attention than the weekly darts tournament behind them. Sarah sat with a half empty wine bottle in front of her, whilst John remained with his orange juice.

"This is the most fun I've had in ages." John said, still struggling to speak between the laughter.

"Well maybe you need to get out more then." Sarah said, taking another sip out of her wine glass. "Or is Sherlock not a party person?"

"Can you imagine him at a club?" John asked. "He barely functions at a meal."

"What do you see in him then?" Sarah asked.

The question he had been asked a million times, and every time his answer had been different. It had ranged from long answers for several minutes to the simple explanation of 'I love him', but for Sarah he imagined none of these would ever be enough. Though he hated to admit it she somehow read him in a way only second to Sherlock.

"He's different." John replied. "And different is good."

"And your relationship?" Sarah asked.

"Turbulent." He replied before saying quietly to himself. "Much like Sherlock himself."

- :) -

As Sherlock got into the taxi he noticed something immediately wrong. He had just pulled the handle to shut the door and they had already started. The signs, though well forged, were not worn enough around the edges and the taxi driver had two hands placed on the wheel (when normally due to their working day, one would suffice). Sherlock leant back and inspected them.

"You've been hired by someone." Sherlock said.

"They said you were good." The taxi driver replied.

They took the right, away from the police car and they moved down the familiar streets of London. He had seen them before so many times, and yet it felt as if they were taking the most inconvenient and pointless route as a form of slow torture.

"You set out a false kidnap." Sherlock said.

"No, nothing false is about that." The taxi driver said. "Was a favour to a...I would say friend, but I don't think he's capable of them."

And without another word from the taxi driver Sherlock's eyes opened in awareness.

"Moriarty." He said.

**Chapter 2 is done...finally**

**Why does Moriarty want Sherlock?**

**Will John ever accept his turbulent relationship?**

**Will the taxi driver ever learn a better route?**

**FIND OUT NEXT TIME**


End file.
